1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to an automatic cooking device, and has particular reference to an improved food frying device having automatic cooking and dispensing means.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Fryers are widely used in the restaurant and commercial retail business for cooking a variety of food products such as french-fried potatoes, vegetables, chicken, meat and fish.
In the commercial setting it is particularly important that the frying device be easily and safely operated by an operator. It should not be necessary for the operator to come into contact with the interior of the device, as when food is being introduced into or removed from the device. In addition to preventing the risk of contact with the hot cooking oil, the lack of contact with the interior of the device also prevents risk of food contamination. It also should be possible to prepare more than an individual sized portion in one frying session. In addition, the device must be capable of being easily and readily disassembled for cleaning. Cleaning the device is important for both hygienic purposes and for increasing the reliability of the device through preventing the build up of fat and food particles.
It is generally known in automatic frying devices to place food in a basket, automatically immerse the basket in a vat of oil until the cooking is complete, and then automatically remove the basket from the oil and deposit the food into a holding container, with the removal of odors and particles being accomplished by use of a filtration system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,947, issued Jul. 3, 1984 to Schmidt et al. discloses a consumer operated food frying machine which receives frozen food from an operator in a specifically designed container. The machine then automatically transfers the food within the container to a frying station by means of a rotating receptacle and dumping arms. The receptacle proceeds to automatically return the food to its original container within the interior of the machine. The access door is latched by a solenoid to prevent access during a cooking cycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,505,194, issued on Mar. 19, 1985 to Bishop et al. discloses a food frying device with a pivotal lid which covers an aperture and a funnel in which the food is initially deposited. When the operator closes the lid, a solenoid is released and locks the pivotal lid in the closed position. A basket of food is then lowered into cooking oil and raised when cooking is complete. The basket then rotates and dumps the food into another funnel which guides the cooked food into yet another funnel which deposits the food into a container located within the interior of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,717, issued Jun. 4, 1985 to Bohrer, Jr. et al., discloses a food frying device with a pivotal tray or door which is hingedly attached to the front portion of a cabinet. The tray pivots downward to a generally horizontal position to enable a basket of food to be both inserted and removed from the cooking oil. The basket disclosed in Bohrer, Jr. et al. includes insulation material formed around each handle of the basket in order to prevent the operator's hands from being burned while inserting and removing the basket from the device. The device also includes an exhaust system which pulls air in through a lower portion of the cabinet and exhausts air out through the top of the cabinet, having a one-piece filter unit positioned in the path of air flow upstream. The removable filter includes a paper filter together with activated charcoal particles configured as an integral unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,429, issued on May 6, 1986 to Hawkins, discloses an automatic food cooking and dispensing device having a food hopper for storing food, the food hopper having a cylinder device with a recess which enables a particularly shaped food chip to fall into the food container after the food container is placed into the oil. Where food other than chips is to be dispensed, the cylinder device may have a differently shaped recess. Hawkins also discloses a pivotable base wall at the bottom of a food container which falls downwardly and consequently causes food to fall vertically downward into a receiving holder. When the container is disposed over the discharge chute, the base wall which is held closed by spring clips and an adjustable screw, is opened to allow for the depositing of food. The food container is mounted on parallel linkages for movement between an inoperative position, a position in which the container is disposed within the cooker, a position in which the container is disposed over the cooker, and a position in which the container is disposed over the discharge chute, the discharge chute leading to a food holder. The food holder is dispensed from a dispensing unit which holds a cartridge of food holders at the same time as the food container is placed in the oil. A slidable window is provided in the cabinet adjacent the food holder so that the holder can be removed by the operator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,400, issued on Jul. 17, 1990 to Moore, discloses a ventless hood for a deep fat fryer. The deep fat fryer disclosed in Moore is a pressure cooker operating by the use of a heated cooking oil bath and steam under pressure. The forwardly extending portion of the hood supports a pair of angularly related baffle filters. The angularly related baffle filters are supported by an intermediate brace. Above the baffle filters is a metallic mesh filter which is surmounted by a charcoal filter. Directly above the charcoal filter is a stainless steel panel which supports a radiator. Directly above the radiator is an opening in the top panel of the hood. A fan in the vertical portion of the hood is arranged to draw ambient air and cooking gasses through the filter assembly, the outlet of the fan discharging through the top of the hood assembly.
The present invention is intended to provide a solution to several operating and maintenance problems which arise with the use of the known automatic frying devices. In the known devices, the operator must either handle the insulation-covered cooking basket with just-cooked food within, or the operator must place his or her hand into the interior of the frying housing and retrieve a holder which recently received cooked food. In either instance, the operator risks being burned by either reaching in the tray or door and either grasping for the basket or placing food in the basket, or reaching in the window and grasping a food holder.
Another serious and prevalent problem arises with the quality of air which is emitted from the prior art. The filtration system which is used in coordination with the cooking means must prevent a significant amount of oil particles, oil-laden vapors, and odors from reaching the atmosphere. Additionally, larger sized automated units utilize an external exhaust.
An additional problem experienced in the use of prior art devices is the risk of spoilage and contamination of food when food is stored in the device.
A still further shortcoming in devices of the prior art is the need for additional storage space.
There is also the problem of needing additional or different parts to enable a variety of foods to be used in the device. For instance, in a previously mentioned prior art device, the recesses which allow stored food to fall into the food basket must be shaped according to the particular food product.
Additional problems arise with the numerous movable parts which some prior art references utilize to enable the cooked food to be dispensed. The complex automated mechanisms utilized in such devices pose additional reliability and maintenance problems. In addition, the necessity of refilling cartridges or other supply means can lead to both high costs and problems of reliability.